Hiya Im currently working on my first larger 3D game. I have a large amount of textures(more than will fit on my graphics cards memory) and in the process of writing a texture class i came to think about something. I have 2 options. Either i load all the textures at load time and then forget about them. My other idea was to create and destroy textures as the player entered zones in the game. Im writing a spacesim with a seemless universe so its not quite as easy as it sounds i think. My question is. Is the computer/Windows good enough to manage video/system memory to support the first idea? Or should i take the control and manage what textures exists at what time and what place? If it matters i will have around 35 megs of pure texture-image data (i think ). Thanks

well, most of the time you don''t need every single texture for every level. just load the textures you''re going to use in that level. if you still have too many, look at the ARB texture compression extension. it''s like haveing jpeg quality compression to your images. it cuts the storage space a bunch. if you still have too many, then you''re screwed.

HHSDrum@yahoo.com
Polarisoft Home Page

I know what your sayin.

However, the game isnt really divided into levels or zones. Its one big universe with solar systems nebulas and so on. I dont want to pause the game and load new stuff when the player travels from one system to another.

Im not sure if this will be too memory intensive without taking special precausions though. Thats what im trying to figure out.

I''m no expert, but I have an idea. I''ve heard of terrain engines generating a texture based on position and stuff. (They take a couple base textures and mix them ?) Couldn''t something like this be done, so that you only load the base textures, and then mix them based on where the player is in the universe ?

Thats my two cents, and its more than likely only worth two cents.

The Kid

I don''''t know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.

Hello there,

you could always use Texture compression on those
cards that support it and if a card doesnt support
it then use a lower resolution texture. ie 1/2 the
res so 64X64 = 32X32.

Hope it helps.

Mark.